George peeples



(No Modem G. PEEPLBS. DROP LIGHT ELEGTROLIER.

No. 558,609. PatentedApr. 21, 1896.

ANDREW BVGRAMMPMDTD LITHOJNASHINGTUN DC llnrrn rares arrivi* Fries.

GEORGE PEEPLES, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TOTHE THAOKARA MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

DROPn-LHGHT ELECTROLIER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters .Patent No. 558,609, dated April21, 1896. Application led December 24;, 1894. Serial No. 532,803. (Nomodel.)

To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE PEnPLns, a citizen of the United States,residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inDrop-Light Electroliers, of which the following is a specification,reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to certain improvements in drop-light electroliers,and has for its object to provide a device of this character of simpleand economical construction, and in which the circuit will at all timesremain unbroken, as more fully set forth hereinaftcr.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a sectional elevation of adrop or extension electrolier made in accordance with my invention. Fig.2 is an elevation of the contactcarrier on an enlarged scale. Fig. 3 isa transverse sectional elevation of the same on the line 3 3, Fig. 2.Fig. el is a sectional plan View on the line 4 et, Fig. 2; and Fig. 5 isa detached v perspective view of one of the traveling contact-blocks.

The device forming the subject of my invention is one of that class inwhich a lamp or series of lamps are carried on the lower end of anextensible bar or tube, adapted to slide within the central main tube ofthe electrolier, so that when desired the bar or tube may be pulled downto lower the lamp or lamps to a convenient position, as for dining orreading room purposes.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the central supporting-block ormain body of the electrolier, fromwhich may extend a series ofornamented branches for the support et the various fixed lamps, thebranches being usually curved in graceful lines and extending down toabout the lower end of the central tube A of the electrolier, the upperend of the tube being indirectly connected to and supported at its upperend by the main body A, while to its lower end is secured any suitableform of extension box ordinarily employed for extension lamps.

The main body A is connected to the tube A by an internally-tlneadedcollar al, which is screwed into the tube and on a threaded portion ofthe body A. Within the upper end of the tube A and secured to the lowerface of the body A is a circular block O, of hard rubber or equivalentinsulating material, the upper faceof the block being recessed for thereception of the ends of two guide rods d of conducting material, whichpass through openings in the block and are held in place by small nutsd.

The main body A is provided with two openings ct, through which passcurrent-conducting wires c and a3', the ends of which are attached tothe ends of the rods d by screws e so as to bring the rods in circuit,while to lessen the danger of short-circuiting a few sheets f of mica orsimilar material are placed between the upper portion of the block C andthe body A, openings being made in the mica for the passage of theconducting-wires and w.

At the lower end of the tube A is secured a box I3, comprising an upperflanged disk l), a cup-shaped body b', within which is a taperedspring-held ring b2, carrying a number of balls b3, adapted to bind uponthe exten- 7 5 sion tube C, which carries the lamp or lamps to belowered, the form of box shown being one ordinarily used for suchpurpose and forming no part of my present invention.

The upper disk b of the boxis provided with 8o two orifices forthereception of the lower ends of the rods d, the latter bein gsecured inplace by nuts (Z2 and insulated from the disk b by perforated blocks g,of rubber or similar nonconducting material. The bars CZ are thus 8 5held perfectly rigid at top and bottom, being connected, as beforedescribed, to the wires m and at their upper ends, while within the tubeG are two wires y] y, which extend to the lamp or lamps carried at thelower end of the 9o tube.

To complete the circuit from the wires fr a." to the wires `g/ y',Iproceed as follows: To the upper end of the tube Gis secured a blockIl, formed of hard rubber, porcelain, or similar 95 material, having atits upper and lower ends disks 7L h, which fit snugly within the tube Abut are free to move with the block within said tube. The disks 7b areprovided with openings 7L', through which pass the rods d, se roo thatin the vertical travel of the block it iS guided by the two rods and bythe inner surface of the tube AC Fitted within suitable recesses in theblock H are two posts or blocks to whichthe ends of the Wires y y' areelectrically connected by screws Z. To the ends of these posts Z aresecured springs 7c, carrying at their free ends contact-blocks K, thefaces of which are partly recessed and fitted snugly against the rodscZ, good contact being insured by the action of the springs 7s andauxiliary coiled springs Z adapted to recesses in the block H andpressing against the rear faces of the contactblocks K.

In operation the connections are all secure,` the connections betweenthe wires 00 9: and the posts and between the contact-blocks K and thewires y y being rigid, while the springs k and Z insure good contactbetween the blocks K and the rods (Z. There can be no turning ortwisting of the parts and the connections are in no danger of beingbroken from this the most common cause of accident in extension-lamps asusually made.

The lamp carried by the tube G may be of any suitable character andconnected in the usual manner to the wires y y. This and thelamp-brackets of the electrolier have been omitted from the drawings forthe sake of clearness, as they form no part of my invention.

It will be understood that various modifications of my invention may bemade without departing from my invention--as, for instance, the wires y,1/ may be connected directly to the blocks K, and one of the springs 7cor Z may be omitted, if desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is*

1. The combination of the main body, the

main tube, an extension-box at the lower end of the tube, rigidguide-rods provided in said tube and insulated therefrom, said rodsbeing in the main circuit, an extensible lampcarrying tube, a block ofinsulating material provided at the upper end of said lamp-carryingtube, upper and lower disks in said block, guiding-openings in the disksfor the passage of the guide-rods, blocks of conducting material carriedby said insulated block and in circuit with the lamp-wires, and springsacting to force said blocks into contact with the rigid guide-rods. 2.The combination with the rigid guidebars of the extensible lamp-carryingtube, wires therein extending from the lamp, a block H carried by theupper end of said tube, disks h on said block having openings for therigid guide-rods and spring-pressed blocks K in contact with theguide-rods and electrically connected to the lamp-Wires, substantiallyas specified.

3. The combination with the rigid guidebars of the extensiblelamp-carrying tube, wires therein extending from the lamp, a block Hcarried by the Lipper end of said tube, disks h on said block havingopenings forthe rigid guide-rods7 springs 7c carried by said insulatedblock and electrically connected to the lamp-Wires, blocks K ycarried bysaid springs in contact with the rigid guide-bars, and auxiliarycoinpression-sprin gs Z between the blocks K and the opposite faces ofthe block H, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

GEORGE PEEPLES.

Witnesses:

JOHN McKEEvER, FREDK. S. FOX.

